‘Tis the time of year for bugs to start bugging us. They may be creepy, or stingers, but most bugs and spiders serve a useful purpose in the environment. There are numerous devices now to help you trap and release wayward insects, indoors and out.

For those who are timid toward spiders and other creepy crawlies in the house, there are several ways to trap them and sent them go their buggy way.

You can find several variation on the “one bug at a time” catcher, such as the Katcha Bug Catcher, right, a small plastic dome placed over a wayward spider or other bug. Slowly close the trap-door, and take the bug outside. It’s $8 from the PETA Catalog, and it’s also available from other Web retailers.

The Spider Catcher, at left, is made in the UK, but you can easily order it from the U.S. It’s a simple idea — a long-handled device with straight, soft bristles at the end that open and then gently close around your eight-legged buddy long enough for you to carry it outside. (Although some might suggest that you leave spiders alone in your house – they eat other bugs). It’s $20. They say it’s gentle enough to pick up a butterfly and leave it unharmed, but we suspect those soft bristles might not be tough enough to grab a jumbo cockroach.

Gaiam has the battery-free BugZooka, which extends up to 24” for you to suck in an errant bug and release it outside. It’s $29.

Outdoors, combine cornering wasps with streamlined design using the organic wasp trap, $31.90, at right, created by industrial designer Pernille Vea of Denmark. The pretty trap uses sugar and vinegar, and its funnel-shaped entrance holds wasps inside until you’re ready to release them. (Try to keep the errant bees out, though. You need them in the yard to pollinate.)

If you’re so nature friendly you refuse to swat a mosquito, Gaiam has a pocket-sized Solar Mosquito Guard, at left, which emits a high-frequency wave that keeps mosquitoes at bay.

And if none of these smush-free bug devices suit your fancy, you might go with the tried and true clear plastic bag filled with water hanging from the rail or roof. You see them in the South and all over Mexico. Their effectiveness is a bit of a mystery, but many experts attribute their success to light refraction.

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